Justin Bieber is not letting outside noise faze him after receiving mixed reviews for his 2026 Coachella set.
“This is Justin in 2026. He doesn’t have anyone pushing him to do these huge pop spectacles like a 3D concert movie anymore. It’s all about vibing and enjoying where he’s at now,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “There’s a lot less pressure on him, which allows him to put on the show that he wants to.”
Bieber’s highly-anticipated Coachella performance on Saturday, April 11, primarily featured tracks from his Swag and Swag II album, but he also showed YouTube clips from his original music videos on his laptop to reminisce.
While the minimalist set received some criticism from fans, the insider tells Us that the now-viral clips from Bieber’s YouTube performances “were only a small part of a much larger set.”
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“He didn’t sit behind a computer the whole time,” the source explains. “Anyone who watched the full show saw that.”
The insider explains that Bieber’s YouTube segment was an “homage” to how the musician “got his start.”
“It was meant to show his journey from posting videos on YouTube to performing on one of the world’s biggest stages, also on YouTube,” the source shares. “Hailey [Bieber] thought it was adorable and very Justin. It was exactly what he planned and rehearsed.”
Us Weekly reached out to Bieber’s team for comment.
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While performing, Justin, 32, made sure to give a shout-out to wife Hailey, 29, and the couple’s son, Jack. (The pair welcomed their first child in 2024.)
“Hailey, babe, hallelujah,” Justin sang while performing “Everything Hallelujah,” per social media footage. “Baby Jack, hallelujah.”
Hailey was seen blowing a kiss back to him and waving at Justin from the audience. Justin is scheduled to return to the main stage on Saturday, April 18, during the second weekend of Coachella.
Ahead of the singer’s duel performances, a separate source told Us that Bieber’s crew is “filming both weekends for a special project.” The news came after an unconfirmed Deuxmoi blind item reported that Justin was part of a documentary-style film with Netflix.
“Justin doesn’t feel he has something to prove, but at the same time, he wants to flex that he can put on a memorable show without a huge team like he once had,” the insider said of his Coachella set, referring to his 2023 split from longtime manager Scooter Braun. “It’s all his vision, brought to life by just a few people.”
